Third session of the UN Forum on Minority Issues Theme: Minorities and Effective Participation in Economic Life (Geneva, 14-15 December 2010) Presentation on “Discrimination of minority women in economic life” Mrs. Victoria Popescu, Member of the CEDAW Committee I am honored to address this august assembly and share with it my experience as a member of the CEDAW Committee. I would like to bring a stronger gender dimension to our debates related to the major topic of “Minorities’ participation in economic life” and emphasize the specificity of minority women’s situation in the labour market. Gender equality and non-discrimination There is a growing general awareness that the economic and political empowerment of women, including of those belonging to national or ethnic, religious and linguistic minorities and to other vulnerable groups are essential for guaranteeing their contribution to the socio-economic management of the society, on an equal footing with men, and according to their capacities. No genuine democracy and sustainable development can be ensured without a real equality of opportunities between women and men, without a more equitable division of resources and power between genders. Women’s economic empowerment is at the very core of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women which specifically addresses employment area in its article 11. It must be seen in relation with articles 13 and 14 of the Convention which are key provisions for the promotion of women’s economic independence in urban and rural areas, as well as with other core articles dealing with equality and nondiscrimination (art.2), gender stereotyping (art.5), temporary special measures (art.4) etc. In Art.11, the Convention prohibits women’s discrimination in employment in both public and private sectors. It provides a clear picture of various forms of work-related discrimination against women which should be eliminated by States Parties through “all appropriated measures”. It emphasizes women’s rights, on an equal footing with men, to work and to choose professions and jobs. Women have an equal right to training and retraining, to enjoy the same treatment as men with respect to recruitment, pay, promotion, as well as to social security, benefits and pensions. Women should also enjoy safety protection in working conditions, including the “safeguard of the function of reproduction”. Sex–segregation in labour market causes indirect pay discrimination against women in female-dominated sectors, because their work is less valued than work in male-dominated sectors. Therefore, it is of particular importance to guarantee women’s right to equal pay for “work of equal value” and of “equality of treatment in the evaluation of the quality of work”.